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Knut Kielland

The research in my lab focuses on northern ecology including biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling, physiological plant ecology, soil-plant-animal interactions, and predator-prey ecology. We engage in experimental field investigations, modeling studies of plant and animal populations, as well as interdisciplinary socio-ecological research. Since 1991 I have been an investigator with the Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research (BNZ-LTER) program focusing on the ecological processes in boreal forest ecosystems in the context of climate change. I have a strong interest in interdisciplinary research as indicated by previous projects addressing issues such as the ecology and economics of caribou-reindeer interactions (NSF 1999-2005) and the effects of river ice dynamics on subsistence activities in rural Alaska (NSF 2009-2013). I also maintain collaborations with state and federal resource agencies on projects related to the ecology and management of wildlife in Alaska.
Current projects with my colleagues and graduate students include:
- Interactions of succession and herbivory by insects and mammals in boreal forests
- Habitat use and migratory behavior of caribou
- Winter ecology of wolverines
- Reproductive biology and diet of great horned owls
- Nutritional ecology of snowshoe hares
- Vegetation - herbivore interactions in relation to climate change in the Arctic
- Population dynamics of snowshoe hares
- Movement ecology of lynx
- 1990: Ph.D. (Ecology), University of Alaska Fairbanks
- 1982: B.S. Anthropology, B.S. Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- 2016 - present: Professor, Dept. of Biology & Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- 2008 - 2016: Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology & Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- 2001 - 2008: Associate Research Professor, IAB, UAF
- 1999 - 2001: Affiliate Associate Professor, Dept of Biology and Wildlife, UAF
- 1990 -1999: Research Associate, IAB, UAF
2008
2007
2006
Pages
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Ecological Society of America
- The Wildlife Society
- Tanana Dogmushers Association
- Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association
- Long-Term Ecological Research: Population ecology of snowshoe hare in Alaska taiga forests (2009-2014)
- Dangerous Ice: Human Perspectives on Changing Winter Conditions in Alaska (2009-2012)
- Ecosystem-level Consequences of Mutualist Partner Choice in Alder across a Forest Successional Sequence in Interior Alaska (2007-2009)
- Primary Succession of Yukon River Floodplains (2005-2008)
- PI - Movement patterns of lynx in relation to snowshoe hare abundance, Northwest Boreal LCC, 2017 - 2018, $60,000
- PI - Dietary analysis of martens in interior Alaska based on stable isotopes signatures, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 2015-2016, $11,235.
- PI – Ecology of lynx near their northern range limit, USGS, 10/14 – 10/15, $22,876
- PI – Dietary analysis of furbearers in interior Alaska based on stable isotope analysis, ADF&G, 12/13 – 12/14, $10,000
- PI - Interactions of Fire and Thermokarst Affecting Ecological Change In Alaska, USGS, 6/11-5/16, $379,470
- PI - Integrating Remote Sensing and Local Knowledge to Monitor Seasonal River Ice Dynamics, National Institutes for Water Resources,3/11 – 3/12,$22,290
- PI - Nutritional Ecology of snowshoe hares, National Park Service, 9/10 – 9/14, $11,179
- PI – Dangerous Ice: Human perspectives on changing winter conditions in interior Alaska,NSF Social Sciences ARO, 08/09 – 07/12, $359,264
- PI – Primary Succession on Yukon River Floodplains, USDA Forest Service, 07/01/07-06/30/12, $75,000
- PI – Feedbacks between river hydrology and terrestrial nitrogen dynamics in taiga forests,The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 6/02-9/05, $296,291
- PI - Reindeer herding in transition: feedback between climate, caribou and local communities in Northwestern Alaska, NSF, 11/99-6/05, $1,257,636
- PI – Arctic hunters as reindeer herders, NSF, supplement to Reindeer herding in transition, 10/01-6/04, $23,119
- PI – Controls over white spruce establishments in floodplain plant communities, US Forest Service, 10/01-10/06, $55,000
- PI - Effects of moose on dynamics of floodplain communities, US Forest Service, 9/99-8/04, $56,533
- PI - The role of organic nitrogen in the nitrogen economy of taiga trees, USDA-NRI Ecosystems 6/99-5/02, $467,500
- Co-PI – Mutualistic partner choice in alder across a forest successional sequence in interior Alaska (Ruess PI), NSF 06/-1/07 – 05/31/10), $796,227
- Co-PI – Lake Clark moose habitat/calf survival study (Griffith – PI), National Park Service, 7/03 – 8/08, $405,999
- Co-PI - Moose herbivory and browse quality along latitudinal gradients in Alaska and Scandinavia, (Edenius – PI), STINT, 7/00-12/03, $15,000
- Co-PI - Bathurst calving ground studies, West Kitikmeot Slave Study Society (Griffith PI) 1998-2001, $297,764
- Co-PI - Landscape patterns of heavy metal concentrations in reindeer and caribou in Northwestern Alaska, Natural Resources Fund, 3/99-3/00, $18,350
- Biology 104X Natural History of Alaska
- Biology 371 Principles of Ecology
- Biology 493 Winter Ecology
Current Graduate Students (More info)
- Derek Arnold
- Justin Burrows
- Matthew Cameron
- Martha Cummings
- Thomas Glass
- Matthew Kynoch
- Claire Montgomerie
- Sarah Swanson
- Jiake Zhou
Past Graduate Students
- Madison McConnell 2019 (M.S.) Dietary controls over reproductive ecology of great horned owls
- Justin Olnes 2018 (Ph.D.) Demographic effects of snowshoe hare herbivory on white spruce
- Dana Nossov Brown 2016 (Ph.D.) Climate-induced changes to fire-permafrost interactions in the Alaskan boreal forest
- Aditi Shenoy 2016 (Ph.D.) Role of fire severity in controlling patterns of stand dominance following wildfire in boreal forests
- Casey Brown 2016 (Ph.D.) Socio-ecological drivers of resource selection and habitat use of moose in Interior Alaska
- Chas Jones 2014 (Ph.D.) Controls over ice dynamics of the Tanana river
- Suzanne Worker 2013 (M.S.) Causes and consequences of geophagy in snowshoe hares
- Dashiell Feierabend 2013 (M.S.) Controls over survival and activity pattern in snowshoe hares
- Cameron Carroll 2013 (M.S.) Modeling effects of winter severity and fire on moose populations
- Neil Lehner 2012 (M.S.) Winter movements and diets of arctic foxes on Alaska's North Slope
- Greg Finstad 2008 (Ph.D) Range ecology of reindeer on the Seward Peninsula
- Rachel Lord 2008 (M.S.) Variable fire severity in Alaska's boreal forst: implications for forage production and moose utilization patterns
- Amy Angell 2007 (M.S.) Interactions of moose herbivory and white spruce regeneration on the Tanana River floodplain
- Andrew Borner 2006 (M.S.) Plant phenology and seasonal nitrogen availability in arctic snowbed communities
- Nancy Werdin 2006 (M.S.) Soil amino acid composition across a boreal forest successional sequence
- Kumi Rattenbury 2006 (M.S.) Interactions of climate and caribou incursion on management of reindeer in Western Alaska
- Merben Cebrian 2005 (M.S) Effects of simulated climate change on phenology and chemistry of reindeer forage plants in western Alaska
- Nicholas Lisuzzo 2005 (M.S.) Physical controls over nitrogen supply in early successional riparian ecosystems along the Tanana River, Alaska
- Lem Butler 2003 (M.S.) The role of mammalian herbivores in primary succession on the Tanana River floodplain, interior Alaska
In the News
- When Moths Turn Away Moose
(26 October 2018) Alaska Native News - Race across the tundra: White spruce vs. snowshoe hare
(28 February 2018) National Science Foundation - Wandering lynx: Lynx research in Alaska and Canada
(pdf)
(4 January 2017) Alaska Department of Fish and Game - How a Copper Valley couple caught a lynx that wandered all the way from Canada
(pdf)
(10 December 2016) Alaska Dispatch News - It’s to Alaska and then some for Max, the Yukon lynx
(pdf)
(10 December 2016) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Alaskan Wildfires Influence Permafrost Recovery
(pdf)
(1 December 2015) EOS.org - Tanana River study: How to identify dangerous ice
(pdf)
(1 December 2013) Juneau Empire - In Alaska, navigating frozen rivers has become a science
(pdf)
(30 November 2013) The Seattle Times - Tanana River study: How to identify dangerous ice
(pdf)
(30 November 2013) The Olympian - How to identify dangerous, safe river ice
(30 November 2013) Epoch Times (New York, NY) - Tanana River study: How to identify dangerous ice
(pdf)
(30 November 2013) The News Tribune - Tanana River study: How to identify dangerous ice
(pdf)
(30 November 2013) Fort Mills Times - Tanana River study: How to identify dangerous ice
(pdf)
(30 November 2013) MyNorthwest.com - Tanana River study: How to identify dangerous ice
(pdf)
(30 November 2013) The Bellingham Herald - Tanana River study: How to identify dangerous ice
(pdf)
(30 November 2013) Tri-City Herald - UAF study of Tanana River ice leads researchers to write book on safe travel
(pdf)
(22 November 2013) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - UAF researchers spy on grizzly bear south of Fairbanks
(pdf)
(20 April 2013) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Boise State researchers discover why birch is toxic to snowshoe hares
(6 February 2012) Boise State Update - Documenting dangerous ice
(pdf)
(5 December 2011) Polar Field Services newsletter - Lake Minchumia residents lend a hand in scientific studies
(pdf)
(26 June 2011) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Dangerous ice the focus of Fairbanks research project
(pdf)
(5 April 2010) Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Dangerous ice the focus of research project
(pdf)
(5 April 2010) Alaska Science Forum, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks - The brief life and times of snowshoe hares
(pdf)
(10 March 2009) Sit News
Professional Service:
Editorial Board: Ecology (Scientific Natural History section)
Editorial Board:ISRN Forestry
Faculty1000: F1000Prime Faculty member
External Reviewer of proposals:
National agencies
- NSF (Arctic Systems Science, Ecosystem Studies, Ecology, Polar Programs, CAREER, SGER, BCS - Geography & Spatial Sciences, Long Term Research in Environmental Biology)
- US Civilian Research and Development Foundation
- National Geographic Society
- USDA – NRI, CSREES, Small Business Innovation Research
- DOE -Northeastern Regional Center of the National Institutes for Climatic Change Research (NICCR)
- Yale University Press (book proposals)
International agencies
- National Environment Research Council of the United Kingdom
- Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agriculture, and Spatial Planning
- Center for Environmental Research, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters - Center for Advanced Study
- Research Council of Norway
- National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, Toronto, Canada – (External Reviewer for Promotion & Tenure)
- NWO - De Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Dutch National Science Foundation)
- Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Austrian National Science Foundation)
- MITACS Canada (Canadian government & industry support for graduate student training)
Peer Reviewer
- Acta Theriologica
- Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment
- American Midland Naturalist
- American Naturalist
- Arctic, Arctic Antarctic & Alpine Research
- Biogeochemistry
- Biogeosciences
- Canadian Journal of Botany
- Canadian Journal of Forest Research
- Canadian Journal of Zoology
- Ecography
- Ecological Applications
- Ecology
- Ecology Letters
- Écoscience
- Ecosystems
- Environmental & Experimental Botany
- Forest Ecology & Management
- Functional Ecology
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Global Change Biology
- International Journal of Plant & Soil Science
- ISRN Forestry
- Journal of Animal Ecology
- Journal of Ecology
- Journal of Environmental Quality
- Journal of Vegetation Science
- Journal of Wildlife Management
- Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE
- Landscape Ecology
- Letters in Applied Microbiology
- Mathematatical Biosciences
- Nature
- New Phytologist
- Oecologia
- Oikos,
- Pedosphere
- Physiologia Plantarum
- Plant and Soil
- Plant Ecology & Diversity
- Polar Biology
- Polar Science
- Quarterly Review of Biology
- Soil Biology & Biochemistry
- Soil Science Society of America Journal
- Tree Physiology
- Wildlife Biology
- Wildlife Society Bulletin